The lipid composition of animal cells is controlled by transcriptions factors known as sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). These transcription factors are bound to membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nuclear envelope, and are released by sterol-regulated proteolysis. SREBP release is initiated by Site-1protease (S1P), which cleaves SREBPs in the ER luminal loop between two membrane spanning regions (see, for example, Sakai, et al., Cell 85:1037-1046 (1996); Duncan, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272:12778-12785 (1997); and copending application Ser. No. 09/360,237, entitled xe2x80x9ccDNA Cloning of Site-1 Protease for SREBPsxe2x80x9d).
S1P has features characteristic of a superfamily of serine proteases, broadly characterized as subtilisins, which are found in all living organisms from bacteria to humans (see Siezen and Leunissen, Prot. Sci. 6:501-523 (1997)). Human S1P consists of about 1052 amino acids. Based on its resemblance to other serine proteases, it has been postulated that the catalytic triad should consist of Asp218, His249 and Ser414 (ibid.). Additionally, the S1P sequence consists of six potential sites of N-linked glycosylation, an unbroken stretch of 25 nonpolar residues near the carboxy terminus (consistent with a membrane-spanning sequence), and a COOH terminal sequence of 30 amino acids that is strikingly rich in prolines and basic residues (including a complete absence of acidic residues).
From a functional viewpoint, the action of S1P most resembles that of the furins, which are subtilases of the Kex2p-like subfamily that process proteins such as the insulin pro-receptor and pro-endothelin-1. S1P differs from the furins in two respects: (1) substrate recognition (furins always cleave after dibasic residues and S1P may cleave after nonbasic residues, such as cleavage after the RSVL (SEQ ID NO:1) sequence; and (2) cellular location (furins act in post-Golgi secretory vesicles, and S1P acts in a pre-Golgi compartment, thought to be the ER). If S1P does function in the ER, its activity must be regulated so as to prevent, it from degrading nascent polypeptides nonspecifically.
In view of the role of S1P in regulating SREBPs, and thereby regulating the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, there exists a need for compounds that can inhibit the activity of S1P. The present invention provides such compounds, as well as methods for the modulation of cholesterol homeostasis in animal cells.
The present invention provides compounds, compositions and methods useful for inhibiting of S1 protease, and for modulating cholesterol homeostasis in cells. The compounds provided herein, and which are useful in the present compositions and methods are those having the formula:
R1xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)xe2x80x94(Aa1)nxe2x80x94R2.
In the general formula above, the symbol R1 represents (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, aryl, (C1-C6)alkylamino, aryl(C1-C6)alkylamino, (C1-C6)alkoxy, or aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy.
The symbol Aa represents a divalent amino acid residue, connected via its amino and acyl groups, or a linking group. The superscript i is an integer denoting the position downstream from xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)xe2x80x94 and the subscript n is an integer of from 2 to 10, such that Aa at any position can be the same as or different from Aa at any other position, with the proviso that at least two of Aa are amino acid residues.
The symbol R2 represents any one of: 
in which X is O, NH or Nxe2x80x94(C1-C4)alkyl and the subscript nxe2x80x2 is an integer of from 0 to 4. Additionally, the symbols R11 and R12 independently represent H, (C1-C8)alkyl, aryl, or aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, or taken together, R11 and R12 form a five- to seven-membered ring; R13 represents H, CF3, CH2Y, heteroaryl, CONHR16 and CO2R16; wherein Y is a leaving group and R16 is H or (C1-C4)alkyl. The symbols R14 and R15 independently represent H, (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl, and aryl(C1-C6)alkyl; or taken together, R14 and R15 form a five- to seven-membered ring.
Not applicable
The following abbreviations are used herein:
Ac, acetyl; AMC, 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin; ALLN, N-acetyl-leucinal-leucinal-norleucinal; Bn, benzyl; BOC, t-butyloxycarbonyl; Cbz, benzyloxycarbonyl; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; CMV, cytomegalovirus; DMSO: dimethylsulfoxide; Et3N, triethylamine; Fmoc, fluorenylmethoxy; MCA, 4-methyl-coumaryl-7-amide; MeOH, methanol; S1P, Site 1 protease; SREBP, sterol regulatory element-binding protein; and TFA, trifluoroacetic acid.
The term xe2x80x9calkyl,xe2x80x9d by itself or as part of another substituent, means, unless otherwise stated, a straight or branched chain, or cyclic hydrocarbon radical, or combination thereof, which may be fully saturated, mono- or polyunsaturated and can include di- and multivalent radicals, having the number of carbon atoms designated (i.e. C1-C10 means one to ten carbon atoms). Examples of saturated hydrocarbon alkyl groups include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, cyclohexyl, (cyclohexyl)methyl, cyclopropylmethyl, homologs and isomers of, for example, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, and the like. An unsaturated alkyl group is one having one or more double bonds or triple bonds. Examples of unsaturated alkyl groups include vinyl, 2-propenyl, crotyl, 2-isopentenyl, 2-(butadienyl), 2,4-pentadienyl, 3-(1,4-pentadienyl), ethynyl, 1- and 3-propynyl, 3-butynyl, and the higher homologs and isomers. The term xe2x80x9calkyl,xe2x80x9d unless otherwise noted, is also meant to include those derivatives of alkyl defined in more detail below as xe2x80x9cheteroalkyl.xe2x80x9d Alkyl groups which are limited to hydrocarbon groups are termed xe2x80x9chomoalkylxe2x80x9d.
The term xe2x80x9calkylenexe2x80x9d by itself or as part of another substituent means a divalent radical derived from an alkane, as exemplified by xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH2CH2xe2x80x94, and further includes those groups described below as xe2x80x9cheteroalkylene.xe2x80x9d Typically, an alkyl (or alkylene) group will have from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, with those groups having 10 or fewer carbon atoms being preferred in the present invention. A xe2x80x9clower alkylxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clower alkylenexe2x80x9d is a shorter chain alkyl or alkylene group, generally having eight or fewer carbon atoms.
The terms xe2x80x9calkoxy,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9calkylaminoxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9calkylthioxe2x80x9d (or thioalkoxy) are used in their conventional sense, and refer to those alkyl groups attached to the remainder of the molecule via an oxygen atom, an amino group, or a sulfur atom, respectively.
The term xe2x80x9cheteroalkyl,xe2x80x9d by itself or in combination with another term, means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight or branched chain, or cyclic hydrocarbon radical, or combinations thereof, consisting of the stated number of carbon atoms and from one to three heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S, and wherein the nitrogen and sulfur atoms may optionally be oxidized and the nitrogen heteroatom may optionally be quaternized. The heteroatom(s) O, N and S may be placed at any interior position of the heteroalkyl group. The heteroatom Si may be placed at any position of the heteroalkyl group, including the position at which the alkyl group is attached to the remainder of the molecule. Examples include xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94N(CH3)xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94Si(CH3)3, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94OCH3, and xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94N(CH3)xe2x80x94CH3. Up to two heteroatoms may be consecutive, such as, for example, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94OCH3 and xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94Si(CH3)3. Similarly, the term xe2x80x9cheteroalkylenexe2x80x9d by itself or as part of another substituent means a divalent radical derived from heteroalkyl, as exemplified by xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94CH2CH2xe2x80x94and xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94. For heteroalkylene groups, heteroatoms can also occupy either or both of the chain termini (e.g., alkyleneoxy, alkylenedioxy, alkyleneamino, alkylenediamino, and the like). Still further, for alkylene and heteroalkylene linking groups, no orientation of the linking group is implied.
The terms xe2x80x9ccycloalkylxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cheterocycloalkylxe2x80x9d, by themselves or in combination with other terms, represent, unless otherwise stated, cyclic versions of xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cheteroalkylxe2x80x9d, respectively. Additionally, for heterocycloalkyl, a heteroatom can occupy the position at which the heterocycle is attached to the remainder of the molecule. Examples of cycloalkyl include cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, 1-cyclohexenyl, 3-cyclohexenyl, cycloheptyl, and the like. Examples of heterocycloalkyl include 1-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridyl), 1-piperidinyl, 2-piperidinyl, 3-piperidinyl, 4-morpholinyl, 3-morpholinyl, tetrahydrofuran-2-yl, tetrahydrofuran-3-yl, tetrahydrothien-2-yl,tetrahydrothien-3-yl, 1-piperazinyl, 2-piperazinyl, and the like.
The terms xe2x80x9chaloxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chalogen,xe2x80x9d by themselves or as part of another substituent, mean, unless otherwise stated, a fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine atom. Additionally, terms such as xe2x80x9cfluoroalkyl,xe2x80x9d are meant to include monofluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl.
The term xe2x80x9caryl,xe2x80x9d employed alone or in combination with other terms (e.g., aryloxy, arylthioxy, arylalkyl) means, unless otherwise stated, an aromatic substituent which can be a single ring or multiple rings (up to three rings) which are fused together or linked covalently. The rings may each contain from zero to four heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S, wherein the nitrogen and sulfur atoms are optionally oxidized, and the nitrogen atom(s) are optionally quaternized. The aryl groups that contain heteroatoms may be referred to as xe2x80x9cheteroarylxe2x80x9d and can be attached to the remainder of the molecule through a heteroatom. Non-limiting examples of aryl groups include phenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, 4-biphenyl, 1-pyrrolyl, 2-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrazolyl, 2-imidazolyl, 4-imidazolyl, pyrazinyl, 2-oxazolyl, 4-oxazolyl, 2-phenyl-4-oxazolyl, 5-oxazolyl, 3-isoxazolyl, 4-isoxazolyl, 5-isoxazolyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-thiazolyl, 5-thiazolyl, 2-furyl, 3-furyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-pyrimidyl, 4-pyrimidyl, 5-benzothiazolyl, purinyl, 2-benzimidazolyl, 5-indolyl, 1-isoquinolyl, 5-isoquinolyl, 2-quinoxalinyl, 5-quinoxalinyl, 3-quinolyl, and 6-quinolyl. Substituents for each of the above noted aryl ring systems are selected from the group of acceptable substituents described below.
The term xe2x80x9carylalkylxe2x80x9d is meant to include those radicals in which an aryl group is attached to an alkyl group (e.g., benzyl, phenethyl, pyridylmethyl and the like) or a heteroalkyl group (e.g., phenoxymethyl, 2-pyridyloxymethyl, 3-(1-naphthyloxy)propyl, and the like).
Each of the above terms (e.g., xe2x80x9calkyl,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cheteroalkylxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d) are meant to include both substituted and unsubstituted forms of the indicated radical. Preferred substituents for each type of radical are provided below.
Substituents for the alkyl and heteroalkyl radicals (including those groups often referred to as alkylene, alkenyl, heteroalkylene, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, and heterocycloalkenyl) can be a van ety of groups selected from: xe2x80x94ORxe2x80x2, xe2x95x90O, xe2x95x90NRxe2x80x2, xe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94ORxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94SRxe2x80x2, -halogen, xe2x80x94SiRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3, xe2x80x94OC(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94C(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94CO2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94CONRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94OC(O)NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x3C(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94C(O)NRxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x3C(O)2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(NH2)xe2x95x90NH, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2C(NH2)xe2x95x90NH, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(NH2)xe2x95x90NRxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)2NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94CN and xe2x80x94NO2 in a number ranging from zero to (2mxe2x80x2+1), where mxe2x80x2 is the total number of carbon atoms in such radical. Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 each independently refer to hydrogen, unsubstituted (C1-C8)alkyl and heteroalkyl, unsubstituted aryl, aryl substituted with 1-3 halogens, unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy groups, or aryl-(C1-C4)alkyl groups. When Rxe2x80x2 and Rxe2x80x3 are attached to the same nitrogen atom, they can be combined with the nitrogen atom to form a 5-, 6-, or 7-membered ring. For example, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3 is meant to include 1-pyrrolidinyl and 4-morpholinyl. From the above discussion of substituents, one of skill in the art will understand that the term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d is meant to include groups such as haloalkyl (e.g., xe2x80x94CF3 and xe2x80x94CH2CF3) and acyl (e.g., xe2x80x94C(O)CH3, xe2x80x94C(O)CF3, xe2x80x94C(O)CH2OCH3, and the like).
Similarly, substituents for the aryl groups are varied and are selected from: -halogen, xe2x80x94ORxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94OC(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94SRxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94CN, xe2x80x94NO2, xe2x80x94CO2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94CONRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94C(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94OC(O)NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x3C(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x3C(O)2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94C(O)NRxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(NH2)xe2x95x90NH, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2C(NH2)xe2x95x90NH, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(NH2)xe2x95x90NRxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)2Rxe2x80x2, xe2x80x94S(O)2NRxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3, xe2x80x94N3, xe2x80x94CH(Ph)2, perfluoro(C1-C4)alkoxy, and perfluoro(C1-C4)alkyl, in a number ranging from zero to the total number of open valences on the aromatic ring system; and where Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are independently selected from hydrogen, (C1-C8)alkyl and heteroalkyl, unsubstituted aryl, (unsubstituted aryl)-(C1-C4)alkyl, and (unsubstituted aryl)oxy-(C1-C4)alkyl.
Two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula xe2x80x94Txe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94(CH2)qxe2x80x94Uxe2x80x94, wherein T and U are independently xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94 or a single bond, and q is an integer of from 0 to 2. Alternatively, two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula xe2x80x94Axe2x80x94(CH2)rxe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94, wherein A and B are independently xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 or a single bond, and r is an integer of from 1 to 3. One of the single bonds of the new ring so formed may optionally be replaced with a double bond. Alternatively, two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula xe2x80x94(CH2)Sxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94(CH2)txe2x80x94, where s and t are independently integers of from 0 to 3, and X is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94, or xe2x80x94S(O)2NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94. The substituent Rxe2x80x2 in xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94S(O)2NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 is selected from hydrogen or unsubstituted (C1-C6)alkyl.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cheteroatomxe2x80x9d is meant to include oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and silicon (Si).
For the compounds of the present invention which contain amino acid or peptide fragments, the amino acid residues may be those 20 L-xcex1-amino acids genetically encoded or any other fragments that contain a primary or secondary amine and a free carboxylic acid. The conventional single-letter and three-letter designations for gene-encoded amino acids are as follows:
Commonly encountered amino acids which are not gene-encoded may also be used in the present invention. These amino acids and their abbreviations include ornithine (Orn); t-butylglycine (t-BuG); phenylglycine (PhG); cyclohexylalanine (Cha); norleucine (Nle); 2-naphthylalanine (2-Nal), 1-naphthylalanine (1-Nal); 2-thienylalanine (2-Thi); 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (Tic); N-methylisoleucine (N-MeIle); homoarginine (Har); Na-methylarginine (N-MeArg) and sarcosine (Sar).
All of the amino acids used in the present invention may be either the D- or L-isomer. The L-isomers are preferred. One of skill in the art will understand that in the process of connecting amino acid fragments together a molecule of water is removed, such that contiguous amino acid residues are connected by amide linkages generated from the carboxylic acid of one residue and the amino group of the other residue.
The term xe2x80x9clinking groupxe2x80x9d is meant to include either a covalent single or double bond, or a group capable of covalently attaching or connecting two radicals. Examples of linking groups are alkylene, alkyleneoxy, alkyleneamino, alkylenediamino, alkylenedioxy, and the like. Further, linking groups such as (C1-C6)alkyleneoxy is meant to include xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH2Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH2CH2Oxe2x80x94, and xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2Oxe2x80x94,as well as branched linking groups and those groups in which one or more methylene groups have been replaced by heteroatoms (e.g., xe2x80x94CH2OCH2CH2Oxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94CH2CH2NHCH2CH2CH2Oxe2x80x94). Linking groups containing xe2x80x9cdioxyxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdiaminoxe2x80x9d are meant to include those alkylene linking groups having oxygen atoms and amino groups at each termini, respectively.
The term xe2x80x9cpharmaceutically acceptable saltsxe2x80x9d is meant to include salts of the active compounds which are prepared with relatively nontoxic acids or bases, depending on the particular substituents found on the compounds described herein. When compounds of the present invention contain relatively acidic functionalities, base addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of such compounds with a sufficient amount of the desired base, either neat or in a suitable inert solvent. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts include sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium, organic amino, or magnesium salt, or a similar salt. When compounds of the present invention contain relatively basic functionalities, acid addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of such compounds with a sufficient amount of the desired acid, either neat or in a suitable inert solvent. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include those derived from inorganic acids like hydrochloric, hydrobromic, nitric, carbonic, monohydrogencarbonic, phosphoric, monohydrogenphosphoric, dihydrogenphosphoric, sulfuric, monohydrogensulfuric, hydriodic, or phosphorous acids and the like, as well as the salts derived from relatively nontoxic organic acids like acetic, propionic, isobutyric, oxalic, maleic, malonic, benzoic, succinic, suberic, fumaric, mandelic, phthalic, benzenesulfonic, p-tolylsulfonic, citric, tartaric, methanesulfonic, and the like. Also included are salts of amino acids such as arginate and the like, and salts of organic acids like glucuronic or galactunoric acids and the like (see, for example, Berge, S. M., et al, xe2x80x9cPharmaceutical Saltsxe2x80x9d, Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 1977, 66, 1-19). Certain specific compounds of the present invention contain both basic and acidic functionalities that allow the compounds to be converted into either base or acid addition salts.
The neutral forms of the compounds may be regenerated by contacting the salt with a base or acid and isolating the parent compound in the conventional manner. The parent form of the compound differs from the various salt forms in certain physical properties, such as solubility in polar solvents, but otherwise the salts are equivalent to the parent form of the compound for the purposes of the present invention.
In addition to salt forms, the present invention provides compounds which are in a prodrug form. Prodrugs of the compounds described herein are those compounds that readily undergo chemical changes under physiological conditions to provide the compounds of the present invention. Additionally, prodrugs can be converted to the compounds of the present invention by chemical or biochemical methods in an ex vivo environment. For example, prodrugs can be slowly converted to the compounds of the present invention when placed in a transdermal patch reservoir with a suitable enzyme or chemical reagent.
Certain compounds of the present invention can exist in unsolvated forms as well as solvated forms, including hydrated forms. In general, the solvated forms are equivalent to unsolvated forms and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention. Certain compounds of the present invention may exist in multiple crystalline or amorphous forms. In general, all physical forms are equivalent for the uses contemplated by the present invention and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
Certain compounds of the present invention possess asymmetric carbon atoms (optical centers) or double bonds; the racemates, diastereomers, geometric isomers and individual isomers are all intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
The compounds of the present invention may also contain unnatural proportions of atomic isotopes at one or more of the atoms that constitute such compounds. For example, the compounds may be radiolabeled with radioactive isotopes, such as for example tritium (3H), iodine-125 (125I) or carbon-14 (14C). All isotopic variations of the compounds of the present invention, whether radioactive or not, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
In one aspect, the present invention provides compounds that are useful as modulators of SREBP processing. The ability of the compounds provided herein to modulate SREBP processing also supports the compounds use for the modulation of cholesterol homeostasis in cells. The compounds are represented by the formula:
R1xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)xe2x80x94(Aa1)nxe2x80x94R2.xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
In the general formula above, the symbol R1 represents (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, aryl, (C1-C6)alkylamino, aryl(C1-C6)alkylamino, (C1-C6)alkoxy, or aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy. In preferred embodiments, R1 is (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkylamino, (C1-C6)alkoxy, or aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy. Further preferred are those embodiments in which R1 is (C1-C3)alkyl, aryl(C1-C3)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, or aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy. Most preferred are those embodiments in which R1 is (C1-C3)alkyl, aryl(C1-C3)alkyl, (C1-C3)alkoxy, or aryl(C1-C3)alkoxy. Exemplary of the most preferred group for R1 are methoxy, ethoxy, methyl, ethyl, benzyl, phenethyl, benzyloxy and phenylethoxy.
The symbol Aa represents a divalent amino acid residue or a linking group. The superscript i is an integer denoting the position downstream from xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)xe2x80x94 and the subscript n is an integer of from 2 to 10, such that Aa at any position can be the same as or different from Aa at any other position, with the proviso that at least two of Aa are amino acid residues. A variety of linking groups are useful as Aa components, typically to provide spacing between certain of the amino acid residues, or spacing between an amino acid residue and either terminus of the compound. In particular, the linking groups will be selected from a single or double bond, (C1-C6)alkylene, (C1-C6)alkylenoxy, (C1-C6)alkylenamino, (C1-C6)alkylenedioxy, and (C1-C6)alkylenediamino. Each of these linking groups is further meant to include heteroalkylene versions, for example, xe2x80x94CH2CH2OCH2CH2xe2x80x94.
Amino acids useful in the present invention include naturally-occurring gene-encoded L-xcex1-amino acids, the corresponding D-isomers, and commonly encountered non-gene-encoded amino acids (for example, phenylglycine, t-butylglycine, homoarginine, xcex2-alanine, and the like). Additionally, each of the amino acids can be further substituted. For example, one group of amino acids useful in the present invention include 3-(amidino)phenylglycine, 4-(amidino)phenylglycine, 3-(amidino)phenylalanine, 4-(amidino)phenylalanine, 3-(guanidino)phenylglycine, 4-(guanidino)phenylglycine, 3-(guanidino)phenylalanine and 4-(guanidino)phenylalanine. Other substituents are also useful for certain of the amino acids and can be selected from the group of substituents provided above for alkyl groups and aryl groups.
In preferred embodiments, -(Aa1)n- is a peptide fragment of from two to ten amino acid residues, for example, -Aa1-Aa2-, -Aa1-Aa2-Aa3-, -Aa1-Aa2-Aa3-Aa4-Aa5-, -Aa1-Aa2-Aa3-Aa4-Aa5-Aa6-Aa7-, and the like. In each of these peptide fragments, the individual amino acids can be the same or different, and can be any of the amino acids noted above. Particularly preferred are compounds in which -(Aa1)n represents a tripeptide fragment. Further preferred are those compounds in which -(Aa1)n represents a tripeptide fragment wherein Aa1 is Lys, Arg or a divalent amino acid residue of the formula: 
Still further preferred are those compounds in which -(Aa1)n- is a tripeptide fragment in which Aa1 is Lys or Arg (K or R). Also preferred, are those embodiments in which -(Aa1)n- is a tripeptide fragment wherein Aa2 is Ser, Arg or Asn (S, R or N) and Aa3 is Met, Val or Leu (M, V or L).
Returning to formula I above, the symbol R2 represents any one of: 
in which X is O, NH or Nxe2x80x94(C1-C4)alkyl and the subscript nxe2x80x2 is an integer of from 0 to 4. Additionally, the symbols R11 and R12 independently represent H, (C1-C8)alkyl, aryl, or aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, or taken together R11 and R12 form a five- to seven-membered ring. The symbol R13 represents H, CF3, CH2Y, heteroaryl, CONHR16 and CO2R16; wherein Y is a leaving group and R16 is H or (C1-C4)alkyl. A variety of leaving groups are useful in this component of the invention including, halogen atoms, triflate esters, tosylate esters, mesylate esters, and the like. Similarly, a variety of heteroaryl groups are useful including thiazolyl, oxazolyl, benzthiazolyl and benzoxazolyl groups. The symbols R14 and R15 independently represent H, (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl, and aryl(C1-C6)alkyl; or taken together, R14 and R15 form a five- to seven-membered ring.
In preferred embodiments, R2 is a radical selected from 
in which X is NH; nxe2x80x2 is 0 or 1; R11, R14 and R15 are each H; R12 is (C1-C4)alkyl, (C2-C8)heteroalkyl or aryl(C1-C2)alkyl; and R13 is H, CH2Cl, CH2F, CF3, heteroaryl, CO2R16 or CONHR16.
Still further preferred are those embodiments in which R2 is a radical of the formula: 
in which X is NH; nxe2x80x2 is 0; R11 is H; R12 is 2-methyl-1-propyl, methyl, benzyl, 4-amino-1-butyl or 3-guanidino-1-propyl; and R13 is a member selected from the group consisting of H, CH2Cl, CH2F, CF3, CONHEt, CO2Et, 2-benzothiazolyl and 2-thiazolyl.
In one group of particularly preferred embodiments, the compounds of the present invention are represented by their more conventional amino acid formulae as: Ac-RSVL-H (SEQ ID NO:2), Ac-RSVL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:3), Ac-RSVL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:4), Ac-RSVL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:5), Ac-RSVL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO :6), Ac-RSVL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:7), Ac-RSVL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:8), Ac-RSVL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:9), Ac-RSLL-H (SEQ ID NO:10), Ac-RSLL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:11), Ac-RSLL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:12), Ac-RSLL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:13), Ac-RSLL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:14), Ac-RSLL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:15), Ac-RSLL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:16), Ac-RSLL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:17), Ac-RSLK-H (SEQ ID NO:18), Ac-RSLK-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:19), Ac-RSLK-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:20), Ac-RSLK-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:21), Ac-RSLK-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:22), Ac-RSLK-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:23), Ac-RSLK-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:24), Ac-RSLK-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:25), Ac-KSVL-H (SEQ ID NO:26), Ac-KSVL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:27), Ac-KSVL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:28), Ac-KSVL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:29), Ac-KSVL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:30), Ac-KSVL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:31), Ac-KSVL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:32), Ac-KSVL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:33), Ac-RSVK-H (SEQ ID NO:34), Ac-RSVK-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:35), Ac-RSVK-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:36), Ac-RSVK-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:37), Ac-RSVK-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:38), Ac-RSVK-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:39), Ac-RSVK-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:40) and Ac-RSVK-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:41).
In another group of particularly preferred embodiments, the compounds of the present invention are represented by: Cbz-RSVL-H (SEQ ID NO:42), Cbz-RSVL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:43), Cbz-RSVL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:44), Cbz-RSVL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:45), Cbz-RSVL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:46), Cbz-RSVL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:47), Cbz-RSVL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:48), Cbz-RSVL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:49), Cbz-RSLL-H (SEQ ID NO:50), Cbz-RSLL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:51), Cbz-RSLL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:52), Cbz-RSLL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:53), Cbz-RSLL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:54), Cbz-RSLL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:55), Cbz-RSLL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:56), Cbz-RSLL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:57), Cbz-RSLK-H (SEQ ID NO:58), Cbz-RSLK-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:59), Cbz-RSLK-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:60), Cbz-RSLK-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:61), Cbz-RSLK-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:62), Cbz-RSLK-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:64), Cbz-RSLK-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:65), Cbz-RSLK-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:66), Cbz-KSVL-H (SEQ ID NO:67), Cbz-KSVL-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:68), Cbz-KSVL-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:69), Cbz-KSVL-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:69), Cbz-KSVL-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:70), Cbz-KSVL-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:71), Cbz-KSVL-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:72), Cbz-KSVL-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:73), Cbz-RSVK-H (SEQ ID NO:74), Cbz-RSVK-CH2F (SEQ ID NO:75), Cbz-RSVK-CH2Cl (SEQ ID NO:76), Cbz-RSVK-CF3 (SEQ ID NO:77), Cbz-RSVK-CONHEt (SEQ ID NO:78), Cbz-RSVK-CO2Et (SEQ ID NO:79), Cbz-RSVK-2-thiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:80) and Cbz-RSVK-2-benzothiazolyl (SEQ ID NO:81).
In each of the above groups of tetrapeptide formulae, the symbol Ac is used in a conventional manner to depict an acetyl group attached at the N-terminus of the peptide fragment. Similarly, Cbz is used to depict a benzyloxycarbonyl group. Each of the groups provided at the C-terminus is attached directly to the carbonyl moiety of the C-terminal amino acid residue. Accordingly, when combined with the peptide formula, xe2x80x94H represents a terminal aldehyde functional group; xe2x80x94CH2Cl represents a terminal chloromethylketone functional group; and xe2x80x94CONHEt represents a terminal N-ethyl xcex1-ketoamide functional group.
A. Preparation of Compounds
Compounds of the present invention can be prepared using readily available starting materials or known intermediates. Scheme 1 provides synthesis avenues for the production of the subject compounds. One of skill in the art will understand that additional methods are also useful. 
Briefly, the claimed compounds can be assembled in a linear fashion employing the standard Fmoc/t-Bu and Boc/Bn protocols with minor modifications of the protection schemes and the reaction conditions (e.g., ixe2x86x92iixe2x86x92iiixe2x86x92ivxe2x86x92v). More conveniently, these compounds can be synthesized by a convergent method (e.g., vixe2x86x92viixe2x86x92v ). The peptide segment (for example, Ac-RS-OH, or longer peptide fragments for some embodiments of the invention) used for coupling to a V-R2 moiety (shown in Scheme 1 as ii) is synthesized either by the solution phase protocol where the C-terminal is orthogonally protected as an ester or by the standard solid phase Fmoc/t-Bu chemistry using a trityl or oxime resin. Both methods enable the selective unmasking of the C-terminal available for coupling to the Aa3-R2 subunit while leaving the side chain protections untouched to allow for further functional group manipulations.
Synthetic methods useful for the preparation of amino acid derivatives (R2 subunits, or i in Scheme 1) can be found in the following references: chloromethylketones, see (a) Powers, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1970, 92, 1782-1783, (b)Chen, et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1997, 38, 3175-3168, and (c) Teno, et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1993, 41, 1079-1090; trifluoromethylketones, see Imperiali, et al., Biochemistry, 1986, 25, 3760; xcex1-ketoheterocycles, see, (a) Edwards, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 1854, (b) Edwards, et al., J. Med. Chem. 1995, 38, 76-85, (c) Tsutsumi, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1994, 4, 831, (d) Tsutsumi, et al., J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 3492, (e) Costanzo, et al., J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39, 3039, (f) Akiyama, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1997, 7, 533-538, and (g) Tamura, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1997, 7, 1359-1364; xcex1-ketoamides, see, (a) Peet, et al., J. Med. Chem. 1990, 33, 394-407, (b) Iwanowicz, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1992, 2, 1607-1612, (c) Brady, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. 1995, 3, 1063-1078, and (d) Lewis, et al, J. BioL. Chem. 1998, 273, 4843-4854; diketoesters, see (a) Wasserman, et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1992, 33, 6003, and (b) Wasserman, et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1990, 31, 5205; boronic acids, see (a) Matteson, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1981, 103, 5241, (b) Kettner, et al., J. BioL. Chem. 1984, 259, 15016, (c) Adams, et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1998, 8, 333-338, and (d) Weber, et al., Biochemistry 1994, 34, 3750-3757.
The following exemplary procedures are meant to illustrate the preparation of selected components used in the present invention.
Boc-Leu-OH (0.25 mmol) is treated with ethyl chloroformate (0.25 mmol) and Et3N (0.25 mmol) in THF (10 mL) at xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. for 20 min. To this freshly formed mixed anhydride is added an etheral solution of diazomethane (prepared from nitrosomethylurea (1mmol)) at xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. and the mixture is stirred at 4xc2x0 C. for 5 h. After addition of 7N HCl/dioxane (1 mmol) at xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C., the reaction mixture is stirred at the same temperature for 3 h and the pH of the solution is adjusted to 7 with Et3N. The solvent is removed by evaporation and the residue is extracted with AcOEt. The extract is washed with 10% citric acid, 5% Na2CO3 and water, dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated. The crude product is purified by chromatography on silica gel eluted with CHCl3. The product is further purified by recrystalization from CHCl3 and hexanes.
A solution of Boc-Leu-CH2Cl (1 mmol) is treated with 7N HCl/dioxane (10 mmol) at room temperature for 60 min. Ether is then added to the solution to form a precipitate, which is collected by filtration and dried over KOH pellets in vacuo. Various chloromethylketones can be made from the esters of the corresponding Boc protected amino acids following procedures reported in the literature (see, for example, Chen, et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 38:3175-3168 (1997)).
The desired peptide segments are synthesized by one of the following methods: solid phase synthesis using Fmoc/t-Bu chemistry on chlorotrityl resin, solution phase synthesis using Fmoc/t-Bu protocol with the C-terminal orthogonally protected as a methyl, benzyl, or trimethylsilylethyl ester.
Ac-RSV-OH (0.25 mmol) is treated with ethyl chloroformate (0.25 mmol) and Et3N (0.25 mmol) in THF (10 mL) at xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. for 20 min. This freshly formed mixed anhydride is added to a stirred solution of hydrochloride salt of Leu-CH2Cl (0.31 mmol) and Et3N (0.31 mmol) in DMF at 0xc2x0 C. The reaction mixture is stirred at 4xc2x0 C. overnight. The reaction mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate, washed with 10% citric acid, 5% Na2CO3 and brine, dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated. The crude product is purified by chromatography on silica gel eluted with 2-5% methanol in CH2Cl2 to afford product.
xcex1-Hydroxy derivatives of amino acids are useful in preparing certain compounds of the present invention. Preparation of the xcex1-hydroxy derivatives of amino acids can be carried out via a one-carbon homologation of the corresponding xcex1-amino aldehyde. Preparation of Leu-CH(OH)CO2H is illustrative.
To a solution of tris(methylthio)methane (15 mmol) stirred in anhydrous diethyl ether (60 mL) at xe2x88x9278xc2x0 C. under a dry argon atmosphere is added a solution of n-butyllithium (2.5 M in hexane, 15 mmol) dropwise over a period of 10 min. The resulting solution is stirred for 45 min; then a solution of the Boc-Leu-H (3 mmol) in diethyl ether (5 mL) is slowly added. The solution is stirred for 1.5 h; then a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride solution is added, and the resulting mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature. The mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate (3xc3x97100 mL), and the combined extracts are extracted with water and brine and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered. Concentration of the filtrate gives the crude product which is further purified by flash chromatography with gradient solvent system (30-40% ethyl acetate/hexane)to yield products as a diasteromeric mixture. This mixture is then treated with HgCl2 and HgO in methanol at room temperature until the complete consumption of starting materials. The reaction mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate, washed with 0.5 HCl and brine. The organic layer is dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude product is further purified by flash chromatography with a gradient solvent system (1:1 ethyl acetate/hexane)to yield products as a diasteromeric mixture.
To a solution of xcex1-hydroxy acid (1 mmol, see above), HOBT (1.2 mmol), and EDC (1.2 mmol) in THF is added benzylamine (1.2 mmol) followed by diisopropylethylamine (1.5 mmol). The reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature overnight and diluted with 5% citric acid. The organic layer is separated and the aqueous phase extracted three times with AcOEt. The combined extracts are washed with a saturated solution of NaHCO3 and brine, dried over Na2SO4, and filtered. After concentration, the crude product is purified by chromatography.
To a solution of benzothiazole (15 mmol) stirred in anhydrous diethyl ether (60 mL) at xe2x88x9278xc2x0 C. under a dry argon atmosphere is added a solution of n-butyllithium (2.5 M in hexane, 15 mmol) dropwise over a period of 10 min. The resulting solution is stirred for 45 min; then a solution of the Boc-Leu-H (3 mmol) in diethyl ether (5 mL) is slowly added. The solution is stirred for 1.5 h; then saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride solution is added, and the solution is allowed to warm to room temperature. The mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate (3xc3x97100 mL), and the combined extracts are washed with water and brine, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered. Concentration of the filtrate gives the crude product which is further purified by flash chromatography with gradient elution (30-40% ethyl acetate/hexane) to provide the product as a diasteromeric mixture.
The alcohol compound B (0.5 mmol) is dissolved in CH2Cl2 (5 mL), and Dess-Martin periodane (1 mmol) is added. The mixture is stirred at room temperature for 6 h and then diluted with ethyl acetate and stirred vigorously with 10% aqueous sodium thiosulfate for 10 min. The organic solution is separated, extracted with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate, water, and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered. Concentration of the filtrate gives the ketone product.
This crude ketone is dissolved in 95% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid and thioanisole (5%) is added. The resulting solution is stirred at room temperature for 3h to remove all the side chain protecting groups. The thick solution is triturated with diethyl ether and centrifuged. The solution is removed and the solid remaining is triturated and collected as above two more times. The resulting solid is then further purified by reverse phase HPLC.
B. Biological Evaluation of the Compounds
The compounds provided herein can be evaluated for their ability to modulate SREBP processing using an assay to measure the catalytic activity of S1P. The activity measured is typically the inhibition of S1P induced cleavage of a fluorogenic substrate or an HPLC assay to detect S1P induced cleavage of selected peptides in the presence of the compounds provided herein.
The S1P inhibitory activity of the compounds of the present invention can be measured using standard procedures known to those of skill in the art. Briefly, the compounds are contacted with the S1P protein in the presence of a known substrate under conditions (buffer and temperature) optimized to provide maximal protease activity. By quantifying the rate at which substrate is cleaved by the protease in the absence and presence of inhibitor, IC50 (the concentration of inhibitor required to provide a 50% reduction in the rate of substrate cleavage), Ki (thermodynamic inhibition constant for reversible inhibitors) or first-order inhibition rate (rate of inactivation of the protease by irreversible inhibitors) values can be determined for each inhibitor.
A variety of methods can be utilized to readily detect the cleavage of the protease substrate, and the design of each substrate is specific to the type of detection method to be utilized.
1. HPLC Assay
HPLC analysis of S1P protease activity uses a large protein or peptide substrate for S1P. At fixed time intervals, reaction aliquots are quenched and quantitation of the peptide fragments produced in carried out by HPLC analysis. Typical substrates possess an amino acid sequence that is well recognized by S1P (e.g., RKVFRSLKFAESDPIV (SEQ ID NO:82) or HSGSGRSVLSFESGSG (SEQ ID NO:83), where protease cleavage occurs after K8 and L9, respectively).
2. Fluorogenic Peptide Assay
Another assay useful for evaluating compounds of the present invention relies on the detection of a cleavage product having fluorogenic or colorimetric properties. A typical colorimetric substrate is RKVFRSLK-SCH2Ph (SEQ ID NO:84) or HSGSGRSVL-SCH2Ph (SEQ ID NO:85). The benzylthiol released from each of these substrates upon proteolytic cleavage by S1P is easily detected by reaction with 4,4xe2x80x2-dinitrodiphenyl disulfide (releasing a yellow 4-nitrophenylsulfide anion having a UV/vis absorbance at 400 nm). Alternatively, a fluorogenic substrate relies on the generation of, for example, 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (7-AMC) from the 7-AMC amide derivative of an appropriate substrate sequence (e.g., RKVFRSLK-7AMC (SEQ ID NO:86) or HSGSGRSVL-7AMC (SEQ ID NO:87)). Release of the 7-AMC fragment is readily detectable by its fluorescence (360 nm excitation and 460 nm emission/detection).
Other standard methods for studying protease activity such as, for example, the use of Internal Quench (IQ) substrates or doubly-tagged substrates can also be used and are well-known in the art. Doubly-tagged substrates are those in which one end is tagged for solid phase trapping (with, for example, biotin) and the other end is tagged for detection (with, for example, rhodanine).
In another aspect, the present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient and either a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a compound of formula (I). Compounds provided herein which possess IC50""s for SREBP processing activity of about 30 xcexcM or less will be particularly useful in the present compositions. More preferably, the compound will have an IC50 of about 1 xcexcM or less. Most preferably the compounds will have an IC50 of about 0.01 xcexcM or less.
For preparing pharmaceutical compositions from the compounds of the present invention, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers can be either solid or liquid. Solid form preparations include powders, tablets, pills, capsules, cachets, suppositories, and dispersible granules. A solid carrier can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents, flavoring agents, binders, preservatives, tablet disintegrating agents, or an encapsulating material.
In powders, the carrier is a finely divided solid which is in a mixture with the finely divided active component. In tablets, the active component is mixed with the carrier having the necessary binding properties in suitable proportions and compacted in the shape and size desired.
The powders and tablets preferably contain from 5% or 10% to 70% of the active compound. Suitable carriers are magnesium carbonate, magnesium stearate, talc, sugar, lactose, pectin, dextrin, starch, gelatin, tragacanth, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, a low melting wax, cocoa butter, and the like. The term xe2x80x9cpreparationxe2x80x9d is intended to include the formulation of the active compound with encapsulating material as a carrier providing a capsule in which the active component with or without other carriers, is surrounded by a carrier, which is thus in association with it. Similarly, cachets and lozenges are included. Tablets, powders, capsules, pills, cachets, and lozenges can be used as solid dosage forms suitable for oral administration.
For preparing suppositories, a low melting wax, such as a mixture of fatty acid glycerides or cocoa butter, is first melted and the active component is dispersed homogeneously therein, as by stirring. The molten homogeneous mixture is then poured into convenient sized molds, allowed to cool, and thereby to solidify.
Liquid form preparations include solutions, suspensions, and emulsions, for example, water or water/propylene glycol solutions. For parenteral injection, liquid preparations can be formulated in solution in aqueous polyethylene glycol solution.
Aqueous solutions suitable for oral use can be prepared by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitable colorants, flavors, stabilizers, and thickening agents as desired. Aqueous suspensions suitable for oral use can be made by dispersing the finely divided active component in water with viscous material, such as natural or synthetic gums, resins, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and other well-known suspending agents.
Also included are solid form preparations which are intended to be converted, shortly before use, to liquid form preparations for oral administration. Such liquid forms include solutions, suspensions, and emulsions. These preparations may contain, in addition to the active component, colorants, flavors, stabilizers, buffers, artificial and natural sweeteners, dispersants, thickeners, solubilizing agents, and the like.
The pharmaceutical preparation is preferably in unit dosage form. In such form the preparation is subdivided into unit doses containing appropriate quantities of the active component. The unit dosage form can be a packaged preparation, the package containing discrete quantities of preparation, such as packeted tablets, capsules, and powders in vials or ampoules. Also, the unit dosage form can be a capsule, tablet, cachet, or lozenge itself, or it can be the appropriate number of any of these in packaged form.
The quantity of active component in a unit dose preparation may be varied or adjusted from 0.1 mg to 1000 mg, preferably 1.0 mg to 100 mg according to the particular application and the potency of the active component. The composition can, if desired, also contain other compatible therapeutic agents.
The compounds and compositions of the present invention are useful in a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Accordingly, in another aspect, the present invention provides methods of inhibiting S1P in a cell. In this aspect, a cell is contacted with an S1P-inhibiting amount of a compound or composition above. An S1P-inhibiting amount can be readily determined using the assays described briefly above, or alternatively, using the assays in the Examples below. Typically, the amount or concentration of compound required to achieve IC50 will be considered an S1P-inhibiting amount.
In another aspect, the present invention provides methods of treating conditions modulated by S1P in a host, by administering to the host an effective amount of a compound or composition provided above. In therapeutic applications, the compounds of the present invention can be prepared and administered in a wide variety of oral and parenteral dosage forms. Thus, the compounds of the present invention can be administered by injection, that is, intravenously, intramuscularly, intracutaneously, subcutaneously, intraduodenally, or intraperitoneally. Also, the compounds described herein can be administered by inhalation, for example, intranasally. Additionally, the compounds of the present invention can be administered transdermally.
A variety of conditions are modulated, at least in part, by S1P, including hypercholesterolemia or other conditions associated with abnormal cholesterol or lipid homeostasis. The compounds utilized in the pharmaceutical method of the invention are administered at the initial dosage of about 0.001 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg daily. A daily dose range of about 0.1 mg/kg to about 10 mg/kg is preferred. The dosages, however, may be varied depending upon the requirements of the patient, the severity of the condition being treated, and the compound being employed. Determination of the proper dosage for a particular situation is within the skill of the practitioner. Generally, treatment is initiated with smaller dosages which are less than the optimum dose of the compound. Thereafter, the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimum effect under circumstances is reached. For convenience, the total daily dosage may be divided and administered in portions during the day, if desired.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides methods of modulating the expression of genes regulated by SREBP transcription factors in a host, by administering to the host an effective amount of a compound or composition provided above.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides methods of treating conditions associated with abnormal levels of plasma cholesterol, lipoproteins or triglycerides. In this group of embodiments, a subject in need of such treatment is administered an effective amount of a compound or composition provided above.
In each of the methods provided herein, the preferred compounds and compositions are those that have been described in the previous sections. Typically, the host or subject in each of these methods is human, although other animals can also benefit from the foregoing treatments.